Ophthalmic glasses for use in welders&#39; goggles



This invention relates to an ophthalmic glass and it has particular relation to a glass which has transmittance properties rendering it useful as a protective lens in goggles used by welders. Eye protective ophthalmic glasses arrears f- Patented Sept. 8, 1964 K 0, to percent ZnO, 1.5 to 4 percent TiO 2.5 to 4.5 percent Q10 and 0.0025 to 0.045 percent C00. Small amounts, for example 0.1 to 2 percent by weight of refining agents such as AS205 or Sb O may also be present. Such a glass is blue-green in color. The ratio of Cut) to C00 in the glass must be substantial, for example, approximately 100:1 to 1000:1 in parts by weight to obtain the desired absorption and transmission. The sum of the alkali metal oxides, Na O and K 0 is about 15.5 to percent. A small amount of Li O may be used in lieu of Na O and K 0.

Some examples of the glasses of the present invention and their properties are given below in Table I wherein the percentages are by weight:

Table I Compositions Ingredlents and properties AS205 ($13205 in compositions 5 and 6) OuO 3.43. 2.77. C00 0.0276- 0.0112. Strain Point, F 880 890. Annealing Range, F 955-845 965-855. Softening Point, F 1,304 1,321 1,3 1,286 1,329 1,306 Liquidus Temperature, F Below 1,350 Below 1,300.-. Below 1,265 Below 1,300. Below 1,200.-. Below 1,300. Working Range, F 1,304l,890 1,32l-1,905 1.303l,890 1,286-l,870 1,329l,9l7 l,3061,9l0. Color Bluegreen Blue-green Blue-green." Blue-green... Blue-green Blue-green.

which are used in welders goggles should absorb practically all of the ultraviolet and infrared portions of the spectrum.

It is desired that glasses of this type have a composition such that they can be made in quantity in a continuous operation in a glass tank and pressed into lens blanks in an automatic lens blank pressing operation. Glasses having similar transmittance properties have contained appreciable quantities of lead oxide and relatively low amounts of silica. These glasses are objectionable because they do not have a high enough working range when compared with the liquidus temperature. When the glasses are worked at temperatures suitable for ophthalmic pressing, they tend to devitrify because of the proximity of the liquidus temperature to the Working range. For example, the lead-containing glasses have a working range of 1150 to 1600 F., Whereas the liquidus temperature is about 1600 F. The working range is the temperature range within which the viscosity in poises is 10 to 10 It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass havingisuljs't aritially;",fidiriplete absorption,6f,.. he ultraviolet near 1 raredporti o f the spectrum. It

i's'an other object 'ftil invention to produce such a g'lass which attenuates or eliminates the transmittance of the sodium line 5 89 millimicrons). By removing the sodium glow surrounding welding or cutting operations, this glass will permit the operator to view his work more clearly. It is a further object of the invention to produce such a glass having a working range sufiiciently higher than its liquidus temperature so that it can be continuously melted, refined, formed into gobs and pressed into ophthalmic lens blanks.

In accordance with the invention, these and other objects are achieved by the manufacture of glasses having the following compositions in percent by weight: 63 to 70 percent $0,, 6 to 12 percent Na O, 6 to 12 percent The strain point is that temperature at which the internal stress in a glass is substantially relieved in about 4 hours as tested by the method designated as ASTM-C 338-54T. The annealing point is that temperature at which the internal stress in a glass is substantially relieved in 15 minutes as tested by the method designated as ASTM-C 338-54T. The annealing range is the range of temperatures between the annealing point and the strain point. The softening point is the temperature at which a glass rod elongates at a given rate according to ASTM-C 33857 test method. The liquidus temperature is the maximum temperature at which equilibrium exists between the molten glass and its primary crystalline phase.

The amounts of the various components of the glass may vary. Si0 is employed as the principal glass former. If an amount greater than percent by weight of SiO, is used, the glass is diflicult to melt, whereas, if less than about 63 percent by weight of SiO is present, the durability of the glass is poor. The amount of alkali metal oxides, Na O, K 0 and U 0, is maintained between 15.5 and 20 percent by weight to aid in the melting of the glass. At least 15.5 percent alkali metal oxides is required to provide the glass with a low liquidus temperature. The ZnO and TiO in combination with the other ingredients in the glass provide the glass with a working range and liquidus temperature which permit the glass to be Worked and pressed into ophthalmic lens blanks without devitrification of the glass during the gobbing and pressing operation.

The copper oxide and cobalt oxide contents of the glass in cFm'Efiiatio with the other ingredients provide it with the pr oper absorption "and transmissioncharacteristics. A relatively large amount of copper ariaehs" compared to cobalt oxide must be usedin order to obtain these properties in the glass.

ll W

Arm l g/ The transmittance properties of the glasses of Table I are given below in Table II to illustrate the type of glass contemplated by the present invention:

hours to permit refining of the glass. During this time, the chemical reactions are completed and the glass frees itself of bubbles and is homogenized.

Table II Compositions Transmittanee properties Glass thicknessinmillimeters 2.97 2.97 3.00 2. 96 2.96 2.95 Luminous transmittance for Illuminant (percent) 6. 6 15. 2 17. 6 4.5 19.5 19. Total Solar ultraviolet transmittance (percent) 0. 0 0. 6 0.9 0. 0 0. 2 0. 6 Total Solar infrared transmittance (pereent) 4. 3 6. 6 5. 9 3. 6 12.0 11. 5 Total Solar Energy transmittance (percent). 5. 3 9. 7 4. 7 3. 9 12. 5 12. 6 Dominant Wavelength (millimicrons) 485.2 486.2 487.7 489.0 492.4 489.5 Excitation Purity (percent) 70. 7 58.1 56.0 64.0 37.0 45. 2 Transmittance at millimicrons (percent):

As used in the table, Illuminant C is an illuminant de- After the glass is refined, the temperature of the furnace veloped by the International Commission on Illumination is reduced slowly over a one-hour period to 2300" F. and is described in Hardys Handbook of Colorimetry The pot is removed from the furnace and the glass is cast published by The Technology Press of Massachusetts Inon a preheated metal table and rolled with a heavy metal stitute of Technology in 1936. When the C.I.E. system roller into the form of a plate. The plate is placed in a of color description is used as described in the handbook, kiln and annealed from about 1050 F. to about 825 F. the glasses of the invention have an excitation purity beat a rate of about 3 F. per minute. Thereafter, it is tween to 75 percent and a dominant wave length be- 35 cooled more rapidly to room temperature. tween 483 and 493 millimicrons for a thickness of about The batch production of the glass in a refractory pot three millimeters. has been described in order to provide more precise The glasses of the invention can be produced from condata for the manufacture of the glass. When the glasses ventional glass making ingredients such as sand, soda are made in a continuous, ophthalmic tank, the mixed ash, potassium carbonate, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, batch ingredients are continuously fed into the melting arsenious oxide, antimony oxide, copper oxide and cobalt portion of the tank. The batch is melted and formed oxide. The glass is especially designed for melting and into glass by the controlled combustion of natural gas. refining in a continuous, ophthalmic tank. The glass can The glass then passes to a refining section where it is also be made in refractory pots. Various size pots can be homogenized. The refined glass then issues in a stream employed and the melting temperatures and times will from an orifice and is cut into gobs by conventional vary according to the amount of glass being formed in glass-gobbing equipment. The gobs are received in a the pot. The glass is formed under oxidizing conditions. mold and are pressed into lens blanks in accordance Mixtures of the conventional glass making ingredients with conventional lens blank pressing techniques. The that can be used to make the six glasses of Table II are lens blanks are annealed and cooled to room temperapresented below in Table III. ture. Thereafter they are ground and polished to the Table III Compositions Glass Making Ingredients Sand, pounds 964 964 964 964 930 916 Soda Ash, pounds 165 165 165 165 156 172 Potassium Carbonate, pounds 173 173 173 173 196 196 Sodium Nitrate, poun 50 50 50 50 50 Zinc Oxide, pounds 165 165 165 165 203 217 Titanium Dioxide, pounds 32 32 32 32 32. 2 22 Arsenious Oxide, pounds 8 8 8 8 Antimony Oxide, pounds- 7. 25 7. 25 Copper Oxide, pounds 5O 4 41. 62 40.17 40.17 Cobalt Oxide, pounds 0.4000 0.1600 0.0604 0. 2228 0.1625 0.1625

The procedures and conditions hereinafter described 65 may be employed to produce from 8 to 10 pounds of the Essie; thickness and curvature to serve as ophthalm1c glass in a refractory pot. The empty pot is preheated in a furnace at a temperature of 2300 F. A portion of the ,Although the Preent mvfmtlon has .been desfmbed thoroughly mixed batch is ladled into the preheated pot Wlth respmft to sPeclfic detalls of certafn embodlfnajnts and the temperature of the furnace is gradually increased thereof, it 1s not intended that such details act as limita- The remaining portion of the mixed batch is ladled into the pot over a period of one hour, and the furnace temperature is increased to 2650 F. to melt substantially all of the glass making materials. The furnace temperature tions upon the scope of the invention except insofar as included in the accompanying claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our co pending patent application Serial No. 862,023, filed on is maintained at about 2650 F. for an additional two December 28, 1959, now abandoned.

We claim:

1. A infrared g dhltrayicletah n bjna lag. which at amfiirfiillimeternthickness t psmits less than abou'fl percent, pf the... totalsolar. .l ltravigilet ne'rgy and "less than about 12 percent of the solar lnfra rd energy. and. hasma..transmittance of less than" ab'o'uFS .6 percent at a Wavelength of 600 millirnicrons and less than about 0.3 percent at a wavelength of 750 millimicrons, consisting essentially of the following ingredients in percent by weight: 63 to 70 percent SiO 15.5 to 20 percent alkali metal oxides, to percent ZnO, 1.5 to 4 percent TiO 2.5 to 4.5 percent C110 and 0.0025 to 0.045 percent (300, the ratio of CuO to C00 being between 1000:1 and 100:1.

2. A glass as described in claim 1 wherein the alkali metal oxides comprise 6 to 12 percent Na O and 6 to 12 percent K 0.

3. A glass as described in claim 1 containing 0.1 to 2 percent of a refining agent selected from the group consisting of As O and Sb O and combinations thereof.

4. A glass having the following approximate calculated composition in percent by weight: 66.55 percent SiO 7.87 percent Na O, 7.97 percent K 0, 11.39 percent ZnO, 2.21 percent TiO 0.55 percent AS205, 3.43 percent CuO and 0.0276 percent C00.

5. A glass having the following approximate calculated composition in percent by weight: 67.02 percent SiO 7.92 percent Na O, 8.02 percent K 0, 11.47 percent ZnO, 2.22 percent TiO 0.56 percent AS205, 2.77 percent CuO and 0.0112 percent C00.

6. A glass having the following approximate calculated composition in percent by weight: 66.02 percent SiO 7.80 percent Na O, 7.90 percent K 0, 11.30 percent ZnO, 2.19 percent TiO 0.55 percent AS205, 4.22 percent CuO and 0.0153 percent CoO.

7. A glass having the following approximate calculated composition in percent by weight: 64.03 percent SiO 7.49 percent Na O, 9.00 percent K 0, 13.98 percent ZnO, 2.22 percent TiO, 0.50 percent Sb O 2.77 percent CuO and 0.0112 percent COO.

8. A glass having the following approximate calculated composition in percent by weight: 63.11 percent SiO 8.14 percent Na O, 9.01 percent K 0, 14.95 percent ZnO, 1.52 percent TiO 0.50 percent Sb O 2.77 percent CuO and 0.0112 percent C00.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,331,937 Luckiesh et al Feb. 24, 1920 2,676,109 Barnes et a1. Apr. 20, 1954 2,693,422 Duncan et a1. Nov. 2, 1954 2,854,349 Dreyfus et a1. Sept. 30, 1958 2,912,339 Middleswarth et al. Nov. 10, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES Weyl: Coloured Glasses, published 1959 by Dawsons of Pall Mall, London (pages 166-167, 190-193).

Ordnance Dept. Document No. 2037, The Manufacture of Optical Glass and of Optical Systems, May 1921, G.P.O., Wash, DC. (page 

1. AN INFRARED AND ULTRAVIOLET ABSORBING GLASS, WHICH AT ABOUT A 3 MILLIMETER THICKNESS TRANSMITS LESS THAN ABOUT 1 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL SOLAR UNTRAVIOLET ENERGY AND LESS THAN ABOUT 12 PERCENT OF THE SOLAR INFRARED ENERGY AND HAS A TRANSMITTANCE OF LESS THAN ABOUT 5.6 PERCENT AT A WAVELENGTH OF 600 MILLIMICRONS AND LESS THAN ABOUT 0.3 PERCENT AT A WAVELENGTH OF 750 MILLIMICRONS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS IN PERCENT BY WEIGHT: 63 TO 70 PERCENT SIO2, 15.5 TO 20 PERCENT ALKALI METAL OXIDES, 10 TO 15 PERCENT ZNO, 1.5 TO 4 PERCENT TIO2, 2.5 TO 4.5 PERCENT CUO AND 0.0025 TO 0.045 PERCENT COO, THE RATIO OF CUO TO COO BEING BETWEEN 1000:1 AND 100:1. 